The FBI was advised by the US
justice department not to inform Congress of a new inquiry into Hillary
Clinton's email use, officials say.
FBI Director James Comey acted independently when he briefed lawmakers in a letter on Friday.
Mrs Clinton said the move was "unprecedented" and "deeply troubling".
Leading Democratic senators have written to Mr Comey and to Attorney General Loretta Lynch urging them to provide more details about the investigation by Monday.
They argue that Mr Comey's decision to reveal the reopening of the case, less than two weeks before the presidential election, is being used for political purposes.
But Republican opponent Donald Trump has praised the FBI's decision.
Speaking at a rally in Phoenix on Saturday, Mr Trump accused the justice department of protecting the Democratic presidential candidate in a "rigged system".
"The Department of Justice is trying their hardest to protect the criminal activity of Hillary Clinton," Mr Trump said, offering no evidence for the assertion.
In his letter to Congress, Mr Comey said the FBI had learned of fresh emails which might be "pertinent" to its previous inquiry into Mrs Clinton's use of a private server when she was secretary of state in the Obama administration.
Mr Comey, who has served in government under both Democratic and Republican presidents, has insisted that not making the inquiry public would be "misleading".
It is not clear what the emails contain or how significant they are to the investigation.
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